Ole Black and Blue Eyes
by Robyn Hood
Summary: Little Kurt gets a black eye. A drabble of baby Kurt and Szardos family fluff.


Margali had only turned her back from the playing kids for just one minute when she heard a solid _whack_ and the sound of her youngest crying. She could get nothing done around here with three little ones. Nonetheless, she turned back around to see Kurt coming for her, one uniquely-shaped hand pressed to his right eye.

"Stefan hit me!" He wailed once he reached his mother.

"Here let me see." Margali tried to pry his hand from his face, but he wouldn't let her.

He jerked away with a shrieked "No!"

She sighed and looked at her rather guilty-looking eldest. "Stefan, did you hit Kurt?"

"Yes," Stefan admitted, his own voice something of a whine. "But I didn't mean to! We were playing windmills and he stepped in front of me!" The poor boy defended himself, hoping he could get by punishment-free. He really hadn't meant to hit his younger brother.

Margali shook her head and rolled her eyes. Windmills was a game the kids had made up where they spun around in circles with their arms out. She did her best to discourage them from it; someone almost always got hurt. "I didn't see anyone else playing windmills."

"I just started." Stefan stared at the ground while he dug the toe of his shoe into the dirt.

"You kids know you're not supposed to play that game. It's dangerous. Come here, Kurti." She reached down to the child clinging to her skirt and lifted him. He wrapped his little arms and legs around her, holding on like a little blue monkey, and laid his head down on her shoulder.

"I'm going to take him inside." She called to Jessica, who had been watching her daughter and the other kids with Margali.

Jessica nodded and went back to monitoring the remaining children.

Margali made her way to the door of her trailer. "Kurti, you're okay. Hush now, _Kleine_. You're all right." She cooed as she carried him, patting. She finally arrived at the door and tried to open it, but Kurt's thrashing tail made things difficult.

"_Baby_, mind your tail." It was a strange phrase, but one that had become common in their household. She used it whenever Kurt's tail was getting out of hand and he needed to keep it still, preferably close to his body.

However, the sobbing child didn't listen, so she was forced to shift his weight and try to hold him with one hand while she slid the other down his back and bottom until she got to his tail and swept it underneath him. With his unruly appendage finally under control, she swiftly opened the door and climbed the stairs into her home. It was only a few steps to the kitchen area, and for that she was thankful; holding him with one arm was getting more difficult as he grew.

She set him down on the countertop, and tried to get a good look at his eye again.

"Let me see, _Liebchen_." She finally pried his hand away, and sure enough it was already swollen and she make out a dark area underneath his tear-soaked fur. "Yep, you've got a nice shiner on you."

"It hurts!" He sobbed, trying hard to hold onto her again and bury his face into her blouse.

"Kurti, stop crying. You're okay. It's just a black eye." She got an idea. "You know, I bet Captain Blood has had a few black eyes too."

The crying stopped almost instantly, only sniffles remaining. Instead, his good eye shone bright with awe. "Really?"

"Oh, yes." She made her way to the freezer and took out a frozen sponge in a plastic baggie, prepared for just such an occasion where one of her children got hurt. "Being a pirate and all, I'm sure he's gotten into lots of fights and gotten hurt a bit. He's probably had black eyes."

"No, he's too good to get hurt!" Kurt argued, a pout forming on his small face.

"He's only human, _Baby_, and besides, when people fight up close like that he does, they often goe for the eyes. If the other guy can't see, he can't hurt you." She was completely making things up now, but it seemed sensible. "I bet he's had lots of black eyes. They're cool, you know. A badge of honor, showing that you got hurt but you were a big boy and you were okay."

The little boy sat up straighter, his hand away from his face. "I'm a big boy."

"Yes, you are." She handed him the sponge. "Put this on your eye. You'll still have the bruise to show off later, but we don't want it to swell anymore."

He obeyed, holding his icepack to his eye. He removed it momentarily to ask a question. "Mama, do I look cool?"

She laughed. "Very cool. Now put your sponge back on your eye."

He did as he was told, swinging his oddly-shaped feet good-humouredly.

"Now, how about you go rest for a little bit while you ice your eye." She picked him up again and carried him to her bedroom, where their one TV was.

"Okay!" He agreed merrily, happy once more.

It was only a few short steps to her room, and to her bed, where she set him down against the pillows. He seemed content and was already staring in anticipation at the television.

"What do you want to watch?" Margali asked, opening the cabinet closest to the television to retrieve a movie.

"_Captain Blood_!" Was the enthusiastic answer.

She laughed. "I should have known. All right. Would you like a snack?"

"Yes, please!" Kurt was positively cheery now. He would never cease to amaze his mother with how fast he could turn his mood around.

"What would you like?" She might should call in her other kids for a snack too. They might get jealous if Kurt got one and they didn't.

"Can I have ice cream?" He looked at her, bright with hope.

"No, you don't need any ice cream right now. Maybe after dinner. How about a banana?" She asked.

"Okay!"

She left her chipper child to prepare a banana. She sliced it into a bowl, then decided to fix two others for Stefan and Jimaine. She poured three cups of milk, and went to call her older children.

"Stefan, Jimaine! Come get a snack!" Just as she'd predicted, the two dark-haired, green-eyed little ones came running. They were both dirty and Jimaine's hair was a rat's nest, but they looked like they had been having a good time.

"Go wash up first." Margali instructed, holding the door open to allow them both in.

"I'm going to the bathroom!" Stefan called, rushing to the family's one, tiny bathroom.

"I want to go to the bathroom!" Jimaine fussed.

"Here, Jimaine. You can clean up in the kitchen. Mami will help you." Margali picked up her daughter and held her while the little girl washed her hands, then Margali took a paper towel, wet it, and washed her face. "You need to wash your face, Stefan!" She called to her oldest son.

"Yes, Mama!"

"What have you two been doing?" She asked as she examined Jimaine's fingernails. They were caked with dirt. "Let's wash your hands again."

"Diggin' for worms." Jimaine answered happily as she was lifted once more to the sink.

Margali reached out with one hand to help Jimaine clean under her nails.

"I can do it!" The green-eyed girl fussed.

"Well, get that dirt out and I'll let you." Margali retorted.

Stefan came into the kitchen, ready to claim his snack.

"Mama!" Kurt called from the bedroom. "When do I get my 'nana?"

"Just a minute, Kurti!" Goodness gracious, being a single mother to three little ones was no easy task. "Stefan, show me your hands."

The little boy held out his hands, palm up. His mother turned them over and inspected his nails. "Go wash again. Get that dirt out from under your fingernails, please."

Stefan huffed and rolled his eyes, but did as he was told.

Margali just shook her head. She was going to let that one go. Finally, Jimaine's hands were clean, and Stefan came back and showed her his hands. They passed her inspection. "All right, you both go get on my bed and I'll bring you your snack. And don't run!" She called after them as they giddily darted off to her room. She sighed as she stacked the three bowls and managed to hold all three cups. At least they had lids, so if she dropped them, there would be no spill to clean up. Speaking of spills, she really needed new carpet, but that would have to wait. Kids weren't cheap, nor were they tidy.

"How come Kurti got to pick the movie?" Jimaine complained, already seated on Margali's bed.

"Because he got hurt." Margali explained, handing her daughter a bowl.

"I want to sit on the end!" Stefan stood at the side of the bed and pushed his brother.

"Ow! Mami, he pushed me!" Kurt tattled.

"Here." Margali put the snacks down, picked Kurt up, and plopped him in the middle of the bed. "You're the youngest, so you get to sit by both your big brother _and_ your big sister. Isn't that nice?"

"But I don't _want_ to sit next to them! I want to sit on the end!"

"Well, you're littler than them, so you fit better in the middle. Now hush or you don't get your banana." Maybe having snack all together had been a bad idea. It had been nothing but fussing so far.

"But he pushed me!" Kurt reminded his mother.

"Stefan, say you're sorry for pushing Kurti." Margali instructed, picking the bowls back up.

"Sorry, Kurti." Stefan apologized sincerely, climbing on the bed to hug his brother.

"'S okay." Kurt hugged him back, and all seemed to be well.

"Thank you. Now you all behave or no one gets snack." She handed her sons their bananas, then gave everyone their milk. "And use your napkins. I don't want bananas on my bed. Kurt, stop messing with that lid. If it comes off, you don't get your milk."

Kurt immediately left his lid alone and looked up at her with watchful eyes. He didn't want to lose his milk.

"All right. Everybody happy now?" She asked.

All three kids nodded, now absorbed in the movie playing before them and contentedly eating their bananas.

"You come sit with us, Mama!" Jimaine shouted, patting the space next to her.

"Yeah!" Stefan and Kurt chimed in, everyone breaking into smiles.

Oh, they were so cute, how could she resist? "All right. Scoot over, Jimaine." Everybody situated themselves to make space for their mother and continued watching the movie. Margali reached over and stole a banana slice from Kurt.

"Hey," he looked up at her with a sweet grin.

She just ruffled his hair, happy to be with her kids. It was good to be a mother.


End file.
